Very tiny for age

[Samba and Salsa]

I hatched and successfully raised and adopted out about 20 veiled babies last year. I kept one little male runt as I wasn't sure it he would make it. Well, now Rumba just turned 1 and is doing fine except that he is still only about 3 inches long (not including tail). He eats and drinks normally, has no visible signs of illness or deformity but is only the size of a 2-3 month old. Will he ever grow to a somewhat normal size? Thoughts or suggestions?

 

[Hoj]

after a year im not sure you may just have the tinyest veided ever, my camo had a ccident that seems to have slowed his growth hes a year and only 76g but that still alot bigger than your guy.. i have to say a forever small veiled is kinda interesting..

 

[camimom]

I hatched and successfully raised and adopted out about 20 veiled babies last year. I kept one little male runt as I wasn't sure it he would make it. Well, now Rumba just turned 1 and is doing fine except that he is still only about 3 inches long (not including tail). He eats and drinks normally, has no visible signs of illness or deformity but is only the size of a 2-3 month old. Will he ever grow to a somewhat normal size? Thoughts or suggestions?

can u post a pic?

 

[chameleongirl2]

after a year im not sure you may just have the tinyest veided ever, my camo had a ccident that seems to have slowed his growth hes a year and only 76g but that still alot bigger than your guy.. i have to say a forever small veiled is kinda interesting..

YUP, i think he said it all

 

[Samba and Salsa]

Pictures of Rumba at 1 year

Here are some pics - sorry they are not better quality. I haven't seen any real colors on him yet either. <sigh>

 

[camimom]

Here are some pics - sorry they are not better quality. I haven't seen any real colors on him yet either. <sigh>

Hes a year old!?!??! holy moly, my 7 month old is more than twice his size. thats crazy. he has dwarfism! lol. hes cute. too ba don color, but you saved him, all that matters.

 

[Samba and Salsa]

I think he is a dwarf! I don't know why he is still so small...

 

[camimom]

I think he is a dwarf! I don't know why he is still so small...

He must be. I know some animals can have forms of dwarfism. maybe he didnt get enough supplements from his mom, i.e. she didnt pass enough good stuff to him before she laid him, maybe the egg didnt get enough temps when he was incubating, not enough good stuff in his yoke. etc. who knows.
If he seems healthy enough, and he isnt suffering, you just get to have a mini cham, without it being a pymgy or dwarf cham.

 

[Vegas Chad]

Hmmm very odd... Its weird that even his colors and pattern are that of a baby still.

 

[melrito]

I've seen that in panthers when the temps are too cool, causing them to not eat as much... but if you have others that have grown up in the same conditions, i have no idea what's up with him

 

[sdheli420]

if everything is as it is to raise others to twice his size, you could just have a midget chameleon (they prefer to be called little chameleons tho)lol..

i have had a female jacksons (the one i lost to a bee sting) well she was one year old when she passed however was the size of your cham there (yes jacksons are naturally smaller than a veiled, ) but she never grew, and was oddly enough all white with red on her belly (have no clue why, i think ive seen maybe 3 ever with those colorations)..could just be genetic malfunction..like if you have a child born with a foot larger than the other, or a short spine but normal size appedages

if anything, hey you saved a good lil cham, and may be the first with a dwarf..

food for thought: maybe try and find a dwarf female for him (if at all possible) and breed them for the dwarf gene..completley a longshot, as even dwarf people make full size humans still..but its possible to make some.. be the only breeder to offer pygmy-veileds..LOL

 

[AReptile]

My female cham who is about a year and a half is a little bigger than that but not by much. Does yours have MBD? Because that is the reason mine is her size. She is actually just starting to show off some new colors and putting on some bulk very recently.

 

[camimom]

My female cham who is about a year and a half is a little bigger than that but not by much. Does yours have MBD? Because that is the reason mine is her size. She is actually just starting to show off some new colors and putting on some bulk very recently.

I dont see any signs of mbd in this cham. ALbeit she does look a bit skinny. However her limbs are straight and eyes are alert. so Id say.. its a dwarf!

 

[kongchi]

What an awesome Cham!

 

[kinyonga]

The only chameleon I ever had that didn't grow was a hatchling C. chamaeleon that had a vitamin A deficiency in spite of me giving it prEformed vitamin A....I can't be sure that's why it stayed so small...but maybe a vet could run a test to see if yours is short of vitamin A? I wouldn't give it any without checking first since there was nothing conclusive about the lack of vitamin A being the reason for the lack of growth.

 

[Samba and Salsa]

food for thought: maybe try and find a dwarf female for him (if at all possible) and breed them for the dwarf gene..completley a longshot, as even dwarf people make full size humans still..but its possible to make some.. be the only breeder to offer pygmy-veileds..LOL

Hmm, pygmy veileds. Now there's an idea. Anyone have a dwarf female that is looking for a tiny boyfriend? LOL I love my little guy. And he lets me pick him up without biting (unlike his mom).

I don't think I'll be breeding again anytime soon. I have my hands full with my 3 chams, 2 box turtles, a snake, 3 dogs and 2 kids! We have a full house!

 

[Samba and Salsa]

I've seen that in panthers when the temps are too cool, causing them to not eat as much... but if you have others that have grown up in the same conditions, i have no idea what's up with him

All of the other babies thrived in the exact conditions. Mom and dad are nearby (in separate cages, but similar conditions). He is a good eater although he does appear a little skinny in those pictures. I've fed him a good varied diet, watched temps, misted regularly, etc. I guess it's just one of those mysteries of nature.

 

[Samba and Salsa]

What an awesome Cham!

Thank you! I think so.

 

[sdheli420]

maybe do a vet check..to be honest if they dont find any vitumin defeciencies (spelling..) then you do actually have a genetic dwarf(possibly) still may not pass on the gene, but if you did find a female..that'd be cool

 

[Elizadolots]

I've long held there's a market for "mini" versions of both veileds and panthers. I hope you can find a tiny female to see if you can get that going....